SDGs indicators and data

The 2030 Agenda emphasises that quality, accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data is key to decision-making, measurement of progress and to ensure that no one is left behind.

To this effect, a framework of 230 global indicators has been adopted.

From a human rights perspective, some of the indicators are more relevant than others. Approximately half (49%) of the SDG indicators have the potential to yield data that is directly relevant for monitoring specific human rights instruments; 10% have indirect human rights relevance and 40 % will generate contextual information relevant for a broad analysis of factors that enable or limit the realisation of human rights.

A general challenge is the limited data availability and low capacity for data collection in many countries. Data disaggregation is the main approach suggested to monitor the situation of different population groups in the context of the SDGs. However, significant challenges remain in terms of building sufficient statistical capacity.

By building a pluralistic ecosystem of data, it is possible to close some of the data gaps. Such a systems integrates a diversity of complementary data sources, for example citizen-generated data collected through participatory approaches and data harvested from the human rights system.

One of the key human rights mechanism that can contribute to monitoring of the SDGs is the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Over the two cycles of the UPR, states have issued more than 50,000 recommendations. Using an innovative and experimental data mining procedure, it has so far been possible to link more than 50% of them to specific SDG targets. Read more about our digital tool: the SDG-Human Rights Data Explorer.